"How much is a society willing to sacrifice?" was a headline in the Dutch paper. This question is related to the pandemic. A pandemic caused by a certain type of coronavirus. A virus that causes Covid-19 also called the "long virus".
So far governments did their best. Their best out of the mess they created during the past years. With us, in the Netherlands, it's not only the economical crises but a lack of money invested in the medical world. Hospitals, hospital beds, nurses. The government made the budget smaller and smaller and many hospitals we're closed down. They simply didn't manage and a part was not 'good enough'. Not good enough sounds like a joke especially in times of need, a time where the government makes clear 70+ years old is not allowed to be taken to hospital to save beds for corona patients. Patients who are overweight, patients with all kinds of health issues, smokers, alcoholics, high blood pressure, diabetics. Party animals, people who went on a holiday and took the risk. Are they worth saving?
Dutch patients end up in German hospitals. Suddenly there's no need to check that hospital first, if they do a great job, is the best. Do we have the right to claim those hospital beds if the virus increases, acts like a tornado, in Germany as well? Isn't it time to deal ourselves with the risks we took?
You can hate the idea but being 20 or 30 years old doesn't mean you have more rights to a bed, more rights to live. If it comes to life there is no guarantee. It's a countdown from the day you are born! Perhaps it should be the other way round. Not even 2% of the elderly are infected. They are wise enough to not put themselves in danger. They have more rights because they build the country after the war, worked hard their entire life. If they get ill it's because of the caretakers, the nursing homes where no preparations are taken, ventilation is a big no, the place no government ever cared about.
There are two options according to the advisors of the government. A total lockdown and hope for the best or we struggle on like this for the next (winter included) weeks, months.
Those two options are based on? Actually nothing except the fact the hospital beds are filled (not the IC) and somehow they -the government- seem to think they have to do something. Questionable is if we can do something. It's clear this virus will stay, it mutates, and... you can get the disease more than twice. It's clear most infections happen inside! Indeed inside but the schools remain open so do not complain about an increasing number of positive people.
By now 50,000 tests are done a day. Let's say 15 million people will be tested... You can calculate yourself within how many weeks/days the whole nation is tested.
Most tests are done among caretakers, most likely they are tested more than once.
Is the society willing to give up everything for saving lives?
If you ask me the answer is no and that's exactly what this question is about. We are not willing to sacrifice everything for someone else. There's no point in it. If it comes to it it is survival of the fittest (immune), the smartest (stay away, be careful, take care of yourself), and not the stupidest. We all measure in our own way, who or what is important to us. A job, an income, physical and mental health is, and this all is taken away from us by 'taking care' of about 2500 corona patients in the hospital.
"These patients are not all elderly people," an advisor said. That's clear to me, to all of us, since the elderly can literally drop dead. Do I care about those people? No, I don't because I don't know them. Not knowing those people makes a world of difference. The fact is still no one I know is infected. Perhaps because we are introverts, we stay in our world, avoid people, contact, we keep distance and wash our hands... Perhaps because we are immune, had over 40 vaccinations, or already suffer from allergies.
There's a third option. Two professors asked the question if society is willing to sacrifice everything, live in poverty, depression just to save some people. With me, you know the answer is no. We are not willing to sacrifice everything. The past months proved enough. Demonstrations, church meetings, illegal parties, the youth doesn't care, 'our future' generally speaking does not. If this is the case I ask you "Why should we care, care about them?"
I agree with both professors. You can not save everyone. It's time to be open about that and let them die. Some seem to need a long time to recover, some will never recover again. All useless people, as useless as the elderly the government gave the death penalty and they are not the only ones. Healthcare is at its lowest. If you are not tested positive for corona you can forget about medical help anyway. We pay and pay but if it comes to it we all have to deal with our health on our own.
Let's talk about death for a change. Our death because no guarantee certificate for a long, happy life was given at your birth. We all due and if you never cared about your health, are still overweight, smoke, and make excuses for it do not be surprised there's no room for you in the hospital. You had your life, your chance, and blew it.
Usually, the Dutch government will not meet during their Autumn break but they will today (I other 24, 2020) discuss the next steps.
I wonder if your goveris as bad as the ones here. At least tests are being done while in most third worls countries, none of that ever happened. The mild cases and asymptomatic cases were left to stay at their own homes to spread the virus more. I think your government is also doing the same